Washing machine



Nov. 13, 1928. 1,691,089

J. F. STEINHELFER WASHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 25, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I 75 L45 mm OOOOOOO\ 3mm 84% @zJ/tmmz%% O OOOOO a mum;

Nov. 13, 1928. 1,691,089 J. F. STEINHELFER v WASHING MACHINE Filed Nov- 25, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E1 H 0: wag

-Patented Nov. 13, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OF JACOB F. STEINHEIIFER, 0F TOLEDO, OHI O.

WASHING maenma.

. Application filed November 25, 1927. Serial No. 235,417.

My invention has for its object to provide a washing machine to wash clothes, dishes, or other articles, wherein the articles are moved reciprocally in and out of water. Thus my invention provides a means for alternately plunging articles into and withdrawing them from the water, the cleansing operation being produced by repeated sousing of the articles. Also, the invention provides a means for raising the articles clear of'th'e water and rotating them at a high speed above the water to centrifugally remove the water from the articles.

The invention may be tures of different forms, and, to illustrate a practical application of the invention, I have selected a washer embodying the invention as an example of such structures, and shall describe it hereinafter. The washing machine herein selected is shown in the accompanying drawings. I

Fig. 1 is a-view showing a side of a part of the washing machine and showing sections of parts of the washing machine. Fig. 2 1s a view of the top of the reciprocating article containing drum. Fig. 3 illustrates a chain drive interconnecting parts of the mechanism. Fig. 4; is a view of a section taken along the broken line 44 indicated in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 illustrates the means used for reciprocating the article containing drum and shows the positions in which the parts of the mecha nism are located when the drum is raised. Fig. 6 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 5 and shows the relative positions of the parts when the drum is located in its lowermost position. Fig. 7 is a View pf a yoke for operat-. ing a clutch to disconnect the reciprocating mechanism and to connect the means for T0- tating the drum for drying purposes.

The form of construction shown in the drawings is particularly applicable to washing clothes. If the machine is to be used for washing dishes, suitable racks may be provided wherein the dishes maybe secured or held. A reticular drum 1 is supported on ashaft 2 for not only-rotative movements but also for longitudinal movements with respect to the shaft 2. The shaft 2 is supported in bearings formed in the supporting frame 3 of the washing machine and extends through the bottom of the tub 4 which is supported in the upper end of the frame 3, the connecting mechanism being located below the bottom of the tub. The bottom of the tub 4 may be contained in strucprovided with a suitable packing ring 5 for preventing leakage of the water. The drum 1 is secured to a sleeve 6 which is slidably movable along the shaft 2 and isprovided with a plurality of slots in. which .slip keys 7 are located and which interconnect the sleeve G and the shaft 2, whereby the sleeve 6, together with the drum 1, may be moved along the shaft 2 and be rotated-by the shaft- 2, when the shaft '2 is driven. I

The mechanism for operating the drum 1 is dr ven by a suitable motor 10, such as an electric motor, which is secured to the under side of the bottom of the tub 4. The electric motor 10 is connected to theshaftll which is supported in suitable bearings 12 formed on the frame 3 and also in a screw housing 13. The shaft 11 is formed of'two parts 14 and 15 that are located coaxially and may be interconnected by suitable clutch mechanism which may be in form of friction clutch or a gear clutch. In the form of construction shown, the friction clutch 17 is used for connecting the part 15 with the motor 10. The part 15 is provided with'a worm 18 which is located in the housing 13 and the worm 18 meshes with the worm wheel 19. The worm wheel 19 is pivotally supported in the housing 13 and is connected to a lever 20 by means of the link 21 for producing oscillatory movements in the lever 20. The lever .20 is pivotally supported on an end of a threaded rod 22 and is connected to. the sleeve 6 by means of a pair of collars 23 and 24 that are bolted togetherby means of a pair of bolts 25.

The sleeve 6 is provided with a suitable flange that 1s engaged between the collars 23 and 24.

The collar 23 is provided; with protruding lugs 26 to which links 27 are pivotally connected. The links 27 are also pivotall connected to a yoke 28 that is formed on t 1e end. of the lever 20. Thus the oscillatory movements of the lever 20 will be transformed into the reciproca'tory movement .of the sleeve 6 v and the drum 1. I

The tub 4 is filled with water, preferablyfa washing solution to about a depth indicated by the dotted line 30 and the dimension of the lever 20, with respect to the point of connection of the link 21 with the worm wheel 19, is such as to raise the drum 1 clear of the water in the tub 4 and its uppermost position as deits reciprocatory movement, it strikes the sur- 1 face of the water with a considerable force which-produces an impingement of the wav ter agalnst the fibers of the cloth thoroughly and forcibly penetrating each and every fiber of the fabric. Also, when the clothes are raised from the level of the washing solution, and particularly owing to the flatness of the drum, which is located substantially in a hor1- -zontal plane, 'a marked suction is produced which draws the water from the clothes, also since, the drum 1 is raised from the water there is a substantially, free flow of the water through the clothes as well as over the clothes; In addition to this alternating impingement and suction of the solution against and from the clothes, I have also provided a means for forcing the water. into the body of theclothes and drawing the water from the clothes. The lower part of the tub 4 is provided with a flaring annulus that has an inner edge port on that protrudes downward and inward w th respect to the wall of the tub 4, and has an 1n- 1 ner diameter which is slightly larger than the 1' r the annulus 35, there is produced a positive diameter of the drum 1. The. annulus 35 is secured to the inner surface of the tub 4, its outer diameter being substantially the same asthe inner diameter of the tub. -It is located at a point spaced above the bottom suflicientlyto cause a large portion of the lower end of the drum 1 to pass the lower edge of the annulus 35 and while the drum 1 is passing in its reciprocative movement the edge of pumping movement to the solution into and out of the drum 1. The annulus 35 thus per- Fformsigthe double function of forcing the water into and out of the drum 1 and forms a means for slowing down the drum 1 in its downward stroke at the point where the lever changes the direct'on of movement of the drum 1. It thus eliminates the pounding that would be caused by the change in direction of movement of the load that is placed on the .lever 20 and it thus forms-a cushioning to the load at a'time when-the weight of the drum rod 22 is slidably movable in the hbusingfilfii;

the clothes contained therein is added to themomentum that is induced by the downwsrdniovement of the lever 20.

In order to the clothes, I have provided a means for raising the drum 1 out of the water; and automatically disconnecting the reciprocatory mechanism and connect the rotative mechanism for centrifugally removing the water from the clothes and without opening the circuit of the motor. 1 Thethreaded and extends through a threaded gear 39 w is rotatably secured between two parts of the.

housing 38, so that when the gear 39 is rotated, the threaded rod 22,10 which the lever 20 is pivotally connected, will be raised and conse quently the sleeve 6 and the drum 1 will also be raised, although in this raising movement the lever 20 may continue momentarily to re- To raise and lower the rod 22, a worm is located in the housing 38 and meshes with the worm gear wheel 39. The worm 45 is located on the end of a shaft 46 which is provided with a suitable bearing 47 that may be supported'on the. bottom of the tub 4. The shaft 46 may be rotatedby a suitable crank, such as the crank 48. When the rings 23 and 24 are raiseda short distance, they will engage a finger 49 that is pivotally supported on the bottom of the tub 4. The finger 49 is connected to a yoke 50 that is also pivotally supported on the bottom of the tub 4. A link 51 interconnects the finger 49 and the yoke 50 to cause oscillatory movements of the yoke 50. The finger 49 is, preferably, provided with a cam surface that 1s engaged by the edge of the ring 24 to move the lower end of the finger 49 laterally when the rings 23 and 24 are raised and, consequently, the lower end of the yoke 50 is shifted laterally a relatively short distance as compared to the movement of the lower end of the finger 49. A spring 52 is connected to the yoke 50 to cause a return movement of the yoke 50 and, consequently the return movement of the finger 49 when the ring 24 is lowered. A movable member 53 of the clutch 17 is connected to the yoke 50 and is adapted to enga e the complementary clutch members, one 0 which is connected to the drum rotatable mechanism and the other is connected to the part 15 of the shaft 11. The clutch member 53 is slip keyed to the part 14 of the shaft 11, so that when the clutch member 53 isshifted to one position, connection is established with the clutch member 54 and when it is shifted to the other position, connection is established with the clutch member 55. The member 53 of the clutch 17 thus connects the part 15 of the shaft 11 that drives the worm gear wheel 19 and causes the reciprocatory movements of the sleeve 6 and the drum 1 and when the drum 1 is raised by the operation of the crank 48, the member 53 is shifted so as to connect the clutch member 54 ith the motor 1() v The member 54 is provided witha chain gear wheel and drives a chain gear wheel 61 to which it is'connected by means of .the chain gear 62. The chain gear wheel 61 is connected to the bevel'gears 63 which rotate the shaft 2, one of the bevel gear wheels 63 being connected'to the lower end of the shaft 2.1; When, therefore, the drum 1 1s: raised, not only above the surface of the water, but also so as to be free from the operations of the reciprocatory mechanism,

the drum 1 will be rotated by the motor 10. The reduction of speed from that of the R. P. M. of the motor is such as to produce the desired high speed in the drum 1. Thus the drum may be rotated until substantially all of the water is removed from the clothes. The switch of the motor 10 is then opened and the cover taken off from the tub 4 and one or both of the lids 66 of the drum 1 is opened and the clothes are removed from the drum.

The cover 65 is provided with a suitable bearing part 67 that forms a bearing for the upper end of the shaft 6. The edge of the cover 65 is provided with a plurality of clamping members 68 that lock the cover 65 to the top of the tub 4. Also, the cover 65 is provided with a flange 69 that extends into the tub and fits the inner surface of the tub whereby the cover 65 is securely fastened in position and the bearing part 67 secures the upper end of the shaft 2 in its rotative relation to the tub 4, which permits the drum 1 to be rotated at a high speed without causing an undue vibration of the upper end of the shaft 2. The drum 1 is provided with a pair of semi-circular lids 66 that are hingedly connected to a cross-bar 7 O-Which forms a part of the re-inforcing member 71 that ex tends around the upper edge of the drum 1.

The cross-bar provides a means for rigidly connecting the upper end of the drum 1 with the upper end of the sleeve 6. The bottom of the drum 1 is provided with a boss, or collar 7 2 which also fits the sleeve 6 whereby the drum 1 is rigidly connected to the sleeve 6.

The upper end of the tub 4 may be pro vided with an apron 75 that may be formed in the shape of an inwardly extending annulus to prevent the water from being thrown into the crack located intermediate the upper edge of the tub 4 and the periphery of the cover 65. The apron 75 forms a shield for causing the return of the water to the central part of the tub 4. Also, a suitable drain cock, or pi e, 76, may be provided for drawing Water rom the tub.

I claim:

1. In a washing machine, an article containing drum, a member for reciprocating the drum, a rotatable member for rotating the drum, a driving means, a clutch for connecting the driving means with .either the I member for reciprocating the drum or the member for rotating the drum the clutch having a part operated by the member for reciprocatmg the drum for operating the clutch when the path of the movement of the drum reciprocating member in its reciprocation is altered, and means for altering the path of the reciprocating movements of the member for reciprocating the drum.

2. In a washing machine, an article-con taining drum, an oscillatable member for reciprocating the drum, a rotatable member for rotating the drum, a driving means, a clutch for connecting the driving means either with the oscillatable member or the rotatable member, means for operating the clutch by extended reciprocable movements of the oscillatable member, and means for producing the said extended reciprocatory movements to operate the clutch.

3. In a washing machine, an article containing drum, an oscillatable member for reciprocating the drum, a rotatable member for rotating the drum, a driving means, a clutch for connecting the driving means either with the oscillatable member or the rotatable member, means for operating the clutch and actuated by the oscillatable member When its axis of rotation is changed, and means for shifting the axis of rotation of the oscillatable member tooperate the clutch.

4. In a washing machine, an article containing drum, a lever connected to the 'drum for reciprocating the same, a rotatable memher for rotating the drum, a driving means, a clutch for connecting the driving means with the lever or with the rotating member and having a part actuated by the lever upon.

movement of the center of oscillation of the lever, and means for shifting the center of oscillation of the lever.

5. In a washing machine, an article containing drum, a lever for reciprocating the drum, a rotatable member for rotating the drum, a driving means, a clutch for connecting the driving means with the lever or w1th the rotating member and having a part in position to be actuated by the lever when the lever is shifted in position, a member for pivotally supporting the lever, and means for shifting the position of the lever supporting member to operate the clutch part upon reciprocatory movement of the drum.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

JACOB F. STEINHELFER. 

